


The aftermath

by alphabetgirl



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bubble Bath, Crying, Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hot Chocolate, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pampering, Protective Callum "Halfway" Highway, Tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26308996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphabetgirl/pseuds/alphabetgirl
Summary: A week ago, Ben learnt the horrible truth about his younger brother's death. How his older brother played a part in it. Luckily, he has got Callum's love and support to help him through it.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 59





	The aftermath

He had been crying again.

Most people wouldn't be able to tell, but Callum, who knew his boyfriend inside out, didn't miss the puffiness around his eyes, the way his nose was still tinged slightly pink or the pinched expression that had been brought on by a tension headache. He hadn't even responded when Callum entered the flat, standing motionless by the sink, staring into space with a distant expression.

Unable to prevent the little noise of sympathy that escaped his throat, Callum stepped up behind Ben, wrapping his arms around him and nuzzling the space behind his right ear.

"Hey," he breathed.

Ben snapped back to himself.

"Hey. Coffee?"

"Nah, I had one before I left work," Callum replied, pressing a kiss to the smaller man's shoulder, and then his neck.

He had been through a lot recently, with everything that happened with Keanu, Denny's death, Phil's return, losing his hearing and the ensuing operation/recovery. And now this. Finding out a week ago that his older brother had played a part in the death of his little brother. Thinking about it alone was enough to make Callum flinch.

"Jay told me that Ian showed up at the car lot today. Are you alright? Wanna talk?"

There was a long pause, so long that Callum thought that Ben wasn't going to say anything.

"He's my brother, and if it had been someone else that died, someone that I wasn't related too, I would have forgiven him for it. I mean, I'm no angel. I've done plenty of bad stuff and he didn't turn his back," he sighed "But then, every time I look at him, I can't help but think that if it wasn't for him, Denny would still be here,".

"I don't know what to do. Mum and Bobby keep trying to get me to forgive him..."

Callum felt a flicker of irritation shoot through him. He was getting close to losing his rag  
with Saint Kathy the not so super supermum.

"I don't know if I can though," he was crying again.

Callum turned him around in his arms gently, wrapping one arm tightly around his back and using his free hand to tuck his lover's head into the crook of his shoulder. Biting his lip to keep his own tears at bay, he began to rub the younger man's quivering spine, murmuring gently in his ear as he knew that, after months of silence, Ben loved being able to hear his voice.

"Do you think that I should forgive him?" Ben asked, after a couple of minutes of them just standing there. Callum was so kind and sweet and good, and there was no one he trusted more to tell him what the right thing to do was.

"Oh, sweetheart," Callum sighed. "I can't make that decision for you. You need time to get your head around it, and think. Maybe in a few weeks or months, or even years you will be able to forgive him and that's ok. Or maybe you never will. That's ok too. You don't owe him anything. The point is that you can't rush this. You need time, and there is no right or wrong decision here".

Ben nodded, seeing the truth in his boyfriend's words.

Callum tightened his grip on his waist and kissed the top of his head.

"Whatever you decide, you'll have my support 100 percent,".

Ben smiled and snuggled closer, pressing a grateful kiss to the taller man's collar bone. Before he could suggest moving this cuddle session to the sofa, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Callum groaned internally as Ben pulled away to check his most recent message, frustrated that it happened right when he was getting his boyfriend to relax a bit.

"My Dad," Ben sighed.

Callum sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Ever since Callum found out about the warehouse, Ben had been trying to distance himself from the hard man, not wanting to continue putting his relationship on the line chasing fatherly approval he would never get. The older Mitchell wasn't getting the hint at all though. Callum had a growing suspicion that Phil blamed him for the growing rift between father and son. Pinning the blame on a controlling boyfriend rather than accepting that Ben was just standing up for himself. Now, Phil wanted Ben to join him in a revenge plan against Ian. It had taken all of Ben's strength to fight the urge to both cave to his father's will again and make his brother pay for what he did in some way. The first two nights after the truth had been revealed, Callum had sat and let Ben cling to him, while an emotional war raged inside him. And he was so proud that Ben had kept a level head.

Ben's phone buzzed again.

"And another one from my mum,".

"Turn your phone off for a bit,".

"I can't,".

"You can,"

"What if Lexi needs me?"

"I'll text Lola and tell her to call me if they need you,".

Ben couldn't fault that plan, so he powered his phone off and placed it on the kitchen counter.

"Why don't I run you a bath?" Callum suggested, "With bubbles,".

"Is that your polite way of saying I smell?" Ben asked with a tired but genuine smile.

"No, it's my way of saying that I know that you've got a headache and a long hot soak always makes you feel better,".

Ben chuckled and blinked away more tears, albeit happy tears this time.

"I don't deserve you,".

"Don't be daft," Callum smacked a noisy kiss on his forehead before heading towards the bathroom "Take some painkillers, Trouble".

Once he had the taps running, he perched on the closed toilet seat and pulled his phone out to text Lola.

**Ben needs to switch his phone off for a while. If you need him, call me - C**

The response was immediate.

**No worries. Is he OK? - L**

**Yeah, he is fine. He's just being badgered on all sides right now - C**

**About Denny? - L**

**Yeah, he needs a break from it - C**

**How is he in himself? - L**

**Still in shock. It hasn't really hit him yet - C**

**:'-( It's going to get harder for him when it does - L**

**Yeah but he'll be fine, given time. - C**

**Course he will. He's got us xxx - L**

**xxx - C**

Callum set his phone aside and turned the water off, checking the temperature with his elbow just as Ben came in.

"There," Callum straightened up. "Just how you like it. Hot and plenty of bubble bath,".

Ben swiftly stripped off and sank under the mounds of bubbles, moaning softly in content.

"Best boyfriend ever," he murmured.

Callum smiled and gently pushed a stray lock of hair off his lover's forehead.

"Your eyes look sore," he said softly, taking in the red and puffy skin.

"They're alright," Ben said dismissively.

Callum ignored him, opening up one of the bathroom drawers and pulling out a foil sachet.

"What's that?"

"Cucumber and Aloe Eye patches," he replied as he opened the packet. "They should make them a bit less irritable. Eyes shut,".

Ben obligingly let the other man cover first one swollen eyelid, and then the other, with a thin pad designed to look like a slice of cucumber. His boyfriend was right. They did feel very soothing.

"Is that better?"

"Mmmhmm,"

"Are you alright with not being able to see?"

"I am when you are here,"

It was the truth. Due to being hard of hearing, Ben usually started to feel anxious or vulnerable when he couldn't see. It's why he always slept with the bedroom curtains open a crack. But when Callum was with him, he felt safe.

"Where did you even get these from?"

"I acquired them,"

Acquired? As in nicked?" Ben said in an amused tone. "Callum Highway, are you turning to life of crime?".

"No, I just borrowed them from Lola. While she was out,"

Ah yes, of course. Lola had more beauty products than the bodyshop.

Do you think she'll mind?" Callum asked.

Ben scoffed.

"No. She never minds when you ransack her stash. Whenever me or Jay do it though, she threatens us with castration and all sorts.".

It was the truth, and more than once, those exact double standards had left Ben and Jay spluttering with indignation.

The two men sat in companiable silence for a few more minutes.

"Fancy a hot chocolate?" Callum asked.

"We are out of cream and marshmallows,"

"Actually, I bought more this morning,".

"Best boyfriend ever," Ben repeated his earlier sentiment.

"Be back in a few minutes," Callum said before slipping from the room.

Ever since he had learnt the truth about what happened to Denny on the boat, Ben hadn't had much of an appetite. Therefore, Callum had needed to come up with some creative ways of getting calories into him. The hot chocolate was one of them. A large mug (or a small bucket as Ben jokingly called it) filled with salted caramel hot chocolate, a mountain of whipped cream, generous lashings of chocolate sauce and plenty of mini marshmallows. Plus a chocolate spoon to assist with consuming it.

"Here you are, Trouble," he said as he re-entered the bathroom, pleased to see that his boyfriend was looking a lot less tense than he had earlier. "One hot chocolate,".

"Thanks," Ben replied, taking the cucumber pads off his eyes so that he could see what he was doing.

"Feel a bit better?" Callum asked, perching on the closed toilet lid again.

"Yeah," Ben hummed as he took his first sip of hot chocolate.

"Has your headache gone?" Callum asked, gently brushing a stray lock of hair off his lover's forehead.

"Mmmhmm,"

"Good," Callum murmured, stroking the younger man's hair softly, just how he liked it.

The pair sat quietly for a long time, until the water had cooled and Ben was starting to shiver.

"I'll get you a change of clothes," Callum whispered, giving the other's hair one last ruffle before standing up and going to the bedroom.

Feeling a lot better than he had all week, Ben clambered out the bath and drained the water away before drying himself with a big fluffy towel. Callum had only handed in an pair of joggers, he realised. And no shirt. Oh well. He'd just nick one of Callum's out of the wardrobe.

Callum was waiting on the bed for him when he pushed the bedroom door open.

"Hey. want a massage?" he asked, taking in his boyfriend's appearance. He didn't look tense or stressed anymore, but he still looked absolutely knackered.

"Come on, lie down," he said before the other man could answer, patting the mattress.

Ben didn't need telling twice, stretching out on the bed and folding his arms under his head. Callum picked up the bottle of massage oil, pouring a generous amount onto his palm and rubbing his hands together to warm it. Ben inhaled deeply, brow furrowing slightly at the sweet, citrusy scent.

"What oil is that? It's not the usual one.".

"No, we used all of that. This is new. Lime and vanilla," Callum replied. "That's alright isn't it,".

"Yeah it's nice," Ben mumbled, unable to hold back an unadulterated groan as the taller man ran both of his hands down his back, either side of his spine. "More than nice,".

Callum smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to the back of his neck.

"Lola again?"

"Hmm?"

"Where the massage oil came from?"

Callum sniffed. "Maybe.". He squeezed his shoulders lightly before moving back down his back, earning another moan.

"Have you ever considered working in a spa?"

Callum snorted.

"I pretty much already do work in a spa,"

"I suppose," Ben chuckled. It was true that he did love being pampered. Which was just as well because he had a boyfriend who absolutely loved pampering him.

Ben had been long reduced to a boneless puddle on the bed, practically purring, by the time Callum sat back, trailing his finger tips gently down the Mitchell boy's spine.

"You should go to sleep for a bit," he said softly.

"M'Okay," Ben replied drowsily, responding to the gentle kiss that Callum pressed to his lips. "Lay down with me," he demanded.

"Budge over then,"

Ben shuffled backwards until the other man had enough room to lie down next to him

"And when you wake up, I want you to eat something," Callum said as Ben snuggled up, still warm and soft from his bath.

"Yes, mum," Ben muttered "Love you,"

Callum kissed the top of his head. "I love you too,".

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, Ben has started distancing himself from Phil and him and Callum are living together.
> 
> I was disappointed that we never saw Ben grieve for Denny that much on screen. They were as close as blood brothers and while losing a child is worse for parents, it's really hard for siblings too. I'm hoping that when Ben learns the truth of what happened it will bring a fresh wave of grief and we can see him deal with that.
> 
> I can only hope that Ben and Callum have patched up their relationship and when the truth comes out then Callum is there to support him. And he will turn to Callum for emotional support and advice on what to do instead of Phil or Kathy etc. 
> 
> The aloe\cucumber eye patches that Callum used on Ben are made by dirtyworks and they are amazing.


End file.
